Trump demands aides pump up anti-China tariffs

After the administration's top trade official presented a package targeting $30 billion a year in imports, the president asked for an even bigger number.

By ADAM BEHSUDI and ANDREW RESTUCCIA 03/13/2018 02:26 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is getting ready to crack down on China.

Trump told Cabinet secretaries and top advisers during a meeting at the White House last week that he wanted to soon hit China with steep tariffs and investment restrictions in response to allegations of intellectual property theft, according to three people familiar with the internal discussions.

During the meeting, which hasnít been previously been reported, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer presented Trump with a package of tariffs that would target the equivalent of $30 billion a year in Chinese imports. In response, Trump urged Lighthizer to aim for an even bigger number Ė and he instructed administration officials to be ready for a formal announcement in the coming weeks, according to two people involved in the administrationís trade deliberations.

That sent senior officials at the White House, Treasury Department, State Department, Justice Department, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and other key agencies scrambling this week to finalize the proposal. While the details were still in flux, aides said the administration is considering tariffs on more than 100 Chinese products ranging from electronics and telecommunications equipment to furniture and toys.